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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AUTD COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ March 17, 1863. 



employed, and to prevent the eye resting on these so much as it 

 ought to do. 



At the intersection of the main walk with the cross walk 

 running to the south doorway, are several fine Camellias gay 

 with their white and roBe-ooloured blooms ; together with white 

 Azaleas, Kalmia latifolia, Lilacs, and Spiraea prunifolia, the double 

 white flowers of which are very ornamental ; whilst in front on 

 •the walks are bands of Golden Chain Geranium. 



But it is at the south side that the conservatory presents its 

 •gayest aspect, for there the whole of the flower-baskets, or 

 brackets, which are placed at intervals along that side of the 

 house for a length of 80 or 90 yards, are filled with Hyacinths, 

 Tulips, and other early Bpring flowers, arranged on a conical 

 elevation with excellent taste. The whole, especially when 

 viewed from one end, affords a most striking and brilliant 

 scene, and such a glow of colour as probably is nowhere else to 

 !be met with at the present season. The opposite side of the 

 •walk is likewise made gay by a miscellaneous collection of flower- 

 ing plants ranged throughout its length in front of the shrubs. 



On entering the door at the west end, the first basket we come 

 •to is, like all the others of which we shall speak, edged with 

 Lycopod ; next to this is a band of Voltaire Hyacinth, blush ; 

 then a band of Diebitz Sabalkansky, and another red kindj 

 next a pale blue sort; and the centre is filled with Dielytra 

 . spectablis and Azalea amcena. 



The second basket had Lily of the Valley and Chinese Primula 

 alternately ; then came a band of pale blue Hyacinths ; next to 

 this a band of double rose, and the centre was filled up with 

 plants for foliage and two tree Mignonettes. 



The third had Lily of the Valley, then red Van Thol, mixed 

 blue and white Hyacinths, the centre being filled with a Rhodo- 

 dendron and tree Mignonettes. The appearance of this was 

 .rather formal and not altogether pleasing. 



The fourth consisted of yellow Luc Van Thol and white 

 Hyacinths alternately ; double blue Hyacinths formed the next 

 band, within which was a band of double white, the centre 

 being occupied by a deep rose Azalea and two plants of 

 Richardia sethiopica. 



The fifth basket had a band of blue and white Crocus in 

 front ; next to this yellow Van Thols ; then white Hyacinths, 

 with an Azalea and tree Mignonettes in the centre. This had 

 been a very nice basket, but was past its best when we saw it. 



It would be tedious to state particularly how the remaining 

 basketB were filled — the above will be sufficient for an example 

 of the system adopted. 1'he materials employed were Lily of 

 the Valley, Chinese Primulas, and CroeuseB in the front bands ; 

 within these, Hyacinths of various colours and Due Van Thol 

 Tulips ; whilst the centres were filled with Azaleas white or red, 

 Dielytra spectabilis, or tree Mignonette. 



The arrangement of the plants in these baskets, we were 

 informed, is frequently shifted so as to afford, as far as possible, 

 a change to the eye of the frequent visitor. 



Outside the conservatory the vases on the terrace-wall are 

 filled with Crocuses, whilst bands of these are planted along the 

 front, the arrangement of colours being a band of white, one of 

 yellow, then one of blue, and next to the wall of the conservatory 

 a row of Wallflowers. Among the Crocuses were planted a few 

 Hyacinths ; but, from the difference in height, they did not 

 harmonise well together. 



On the terraces in front of the conservatory and in other parts 

 of the grounds several new beds have been formed, and theae 

 have been filled with Rhododendrons, Irish Tews, Aucubas, and 

 other evergreens ; whilst in some, flowering Thorns, Lilacs, and 

 other flowering shrubs have been planted. The panel flower- 

 beds have been filled with Tulips, Scillas, Muscari botryoides, 

 &c. ; but as these are not yet in flower we must defer noticing 

 them till another occasion, merely remarking that elsewhere 

 there has been a plentiful introduction of shrubs to fill up the 

 vacant flower-beds. 



to be raised at Osborne from the Myrtle sprays of the marriage 

 bouquets of each member of the Rojal family. When Her 

 Majesty heard of Mr. Veitch being in attendance with the bridal 

 bouquet last Tuesday at Windsor Castle, Bhe graciously directed 

 a ticket to be given to him for admission to the Royal chapel to 

 witness the marriage ceremony. 



CLOTH OP GOLD EOSE PEOSTED. 



I hate a Cloth of Gold Rose on a wall with a south-east 

 aspect, which flowered for the first time three years ago, but was 

 nearly killed by the frost, which proved so fatal to Roses and 

 evergreens everywhere. It has long branches from 5 feet to 

 8 or 9 feet long, without a shoot, but on the top of each there 

 are tolerably good branches. How should it be treated? — 

 A Sotscbibeb, South of Ireland. 



[For this season let the Rose alone, fasten-in all the strong 

 shoots to the wall, and merely shorten their points ; prune all 

 little Bhort pieces back to a bud. If the plant is healthy these 

 pieces at the top will bloom well. If the long branches are 

 sickly from the frost, it would be best to cut the plant down in 

 the autumn, mulch and protect it in winter, and allow the plant 

 to pnsh afresh.] 



The Pbinoess op Wales' Bbidal Bouquet. — This was 

 prepared and presented by Mr. Veitch, of the Royal Exotic 

 Nursery, Chelsea. Enclosed in Honiton lace, and most taste- 

 fully arranged, were rare Orchid flowers, buds of white Roses, 

 sprigs of Myrtle, and the customary Orange blossoms. The 

 Myrtle sprigs were sent from Osborne by the Queen's special 

 directions, as their parent tree was raised from a sprig which had 

 formed a part of the bridal bouquet Mr. Veitch had presented 

 to the Princess RoyaL Similar trees are wished by Her Majesty 



DESTEOYING THEIPS ON CUCUMBEE PLANTS. 



Life has been represented as a constant warfare, a perpetual 

 struggle with difficulties ; and certainly the cultivator, whether 

 the farm or the garden be his sphere of action, finds it so. 

 Diseases new to his experience, or insect enemies never before 

 Been in numbers sufficient to be formidable, are constantly at- 

 tacking the objects of his care, and a certain amount of loss is 

 generally incurred before the best means of prevention or cure is 

 discovered. Even this Journal would be still more interesting 

 if every successful struggle were recorded and the means which 

 have proved effectual plainly described. Let me have a word on 

 this subject with your readers. 



I am quite aware there are some selfish people who like to 

 obtain information, but would not willingly impart it. I look 

 upon them as belonging to Les Miserables — they are beneath our 

 notice, a contemptuous pity is all they are entitled to. But there 

 are great numbers of clever men and good gardeners who are afraid 

 of recording their experience, because some stupid fellow is sure 

 to say, " Bless me ! has John Smith only just discovered that ? 

 Why, that's as old as the hills!" Is any one less obliged to 

 Mr. Thomson for telling us how new Grapes may be produced 

 at Christmas, because some one may say they have been so 

 produced before ? Or would Stephenson have been less anxious 

 to bring the locomotive to perfection if he had known beforehand 

 that some would-be savant would advance the opinion that not 

 only the steam-engine but the locomotive was known to the 

 ancients? 



Let us remember that newly-acquired information, though 

 not exclusively possessed by us, may be valuable to many. I 

 have been led into this Btrain of reflection from having incurred 

 some loss and much trouble by that troublesome insect the black 

 thrips. A letter was addressed to you some time since on this 

 subject — " How to kill the black thrips on Cucumbers," and at 

 that very time I waB anxiously seeking a remedy, and for a long 

 time without success. Many years since I found strong tobacco- 

 water quite effectual when, as in the case of Azaleas of moderate 

 size, the plants could be entirely dipped in the liquor. Last 

 autumn I had a house of Long-gun Cucumbers, grown for 

 experiment, in splendid health ; some fruit cut about Christmas 

 were declared by Mr. Solomon, of Covent Garden, to be the 

 best he ever saw at that time of the year. Much to my vexa- 

 tion these plants became much infested with thrips. I not only 

 tried every remedy I could think of, but asked every gardener 

 who came in my way for information. One said the best way was 

 to destroy the plants, clean the house, and plant again ; another 

 said he knew of a remedy, but it was a secret. I knew at once 

 he was a fool ; they always have a number of secrets to keep. 

 On all hands I was assured the thrips was very difficult to kiD, 

 particularly on Cucumbers. 



At last I wrote to Messrs. Griffiths & Avis, of Coventry, to 

 ask their advice. Their answer was they were sure their tobacco- 

 paper would kill it. My reply was, our house had been fumi- 

 gated eight times in a fortnight, and the men said the smoke 

 would kill them before killing the thrips. I received a letter by 



